The ancient tooth filing ceremony is one of the oldest and most unique ceremonies performed in Bali. It is mandatory for all Hindu Balinese and it is still done the way their ancestors did it.
We are here to introduce you to the profound meaning of this important ceremony and the simple steps that make up the tooth-filing ritual.
What Is The Metatah Tooth Filing Ceremony In Bali?
Metatah ceremony* is a tooth-filing ceremony performed by Hindu Balinese when teenagers get their canine teeth filed to become adults.
Tooth filing is one of the 11 most important ceremonies in the life of the young Balinese along with the prenatal, birth ceremony, ceremony for the age of 3 months, marriage, and others to pass through life and death to reincarnation.
Everyone must do it, even the dead – the family members will file the teeth of the deceased before cremation.
*The other common names of the ceremony are Mepandes, Mesangih, and Potong Gigi (literal translation from Indonesian cut teeth). In Balinese, sangih means “to file”, and that’s why they call the priest performing the ritual Sanggin.
Why Do Balinese People Have Their Teeth Filed?
Teeth filing is believed to serve 4 main symbolic purposes:
to mark the transition from childhood to adult life,
to become more attractive,
to ease negative traits,
to break the connection between animals and humans.
Adulthood
After the tooth filing ceremony, a person is allowed to have sex, marry, buy property and have household responsibilities.
Sad Ripu – 6 Enemies
Only 6 upper teeth are filed during the ceremony: 2 canines and 4 incisors.
The sharp edges of these 6 teeth represent Sad Ripu or 6 evil enemies of the human soul: lust, greed, anger(rage and irritability), intoxication (madness), confusion (arrogance), jealousy, and strong emotion in general.
The Metatah ceremony cleanses or reduces the spirit of Sad Ripu.
By filing the teeth the person becomes refined, and adjusted to social norms.
Tooth filing ritual also protects the human from the Yamadipati‘s (Lord of Hell, Death, and Justice) punishment.
Ties To Animal World
Balinese people believe that canine teeth that are not filed are characteristic of animals with sharp fangs and aggressive behaviour.
Sharp canines may be the reason why the soul will not be allowed to enter Heaven or won’t be able to meet its holy ancestors.
When they perform the ritual they get rid of that resemblance so the soul won’t be mistaken for an animal in the afterlife.
Beauty Standard
Till modern days, Hindu Balinese consider sharp teeth not attractive. Sang Hyang Semara Ratih – the goddess of beauty is also the patron of the Metatah ceremony.
With filed teeth, they become more beautiful and will attract a spouse.
The Tradition of Filing Teeth
Some sources claim that this important ceremony of tooth filing came to Bali through the marriage of the Balinese king Sri Jaya Pangus to a Chinese descent Kang Chin Wie in the 12th century.
She told the king to file his sharp canines before the wedding. In traditional Balinese culture, Kang Chin Wie became the Goddess of Prosperity.
Bali is not the only place in Indonesia to keep the tradition. Javanese, Sumba, and Mentawai people also used to sharpen canines to look prettier and keep the soul from leaving an unpleasant, ugly, body.
How Does Balinese Tooth Filing Ceremony Work?
Every Balinese has to go through a tooth-filing ceremony between the ages of 6 and 18. The time has come usually around puberty:
for girls when they have their first menstruation, and
for boys when their voices start to break and change
Preparation
The parents of the child or teenager must organize the ritual, it is considered to be their last big responsibility before their children become adults.
They choose a date together with a priest according to the Balinese calendar.
Unfortunately, the ceremony is rather expensive for local families. To reduce the cost, the Hindu Balinese people perform the ceremony on the wedding day, or they hire a Balian – a lower cast priest.
Another option is community teeth filing when the larger pavilion is built and many families can join.
One day before the Metatah ceremony, the teenagers can also be isolated from everyone to ensure no evil spirit possesses them.
Actual Tooth Filing Process
A priest Sangging from the Brahnim cast is invited to chisel the teeth at sunrise.
He carries his tools: a file, a small hammer to chip the teeth, a carving tool purified by holy water, a mirror, a piece of sugar cane, a betel leaf (for any bleeding), and a young coconut.
Sugar cane helps to keep the jaws open during the ceremony, while the coconut shell is used to discard all the saliva and the fillings.
The teenager is dressed in the traditional Balinese attire. The girls wear full make-up, stunning golden-leaf headpieces, rings and big earrings. And the boys carry a sacred dagger Kris and wear a golden sarong songket, and also some make-up.
The person is brought into a special pavilion Bale gading or ivory pavilion with ivory referring to teeth. They wear white socks or are carried there, as they are not allowed to touch the ground.
Family members and invited guests gather to watch but also to form an invisible shield around the child protecting it from evil spirits, as a person is vulnerable and immature until the ceremony is done.
The child lays down, holding the offerings in their hands, while the priest is sitting by the head and the family members surround the platform.
The priest files the teeth crosswise and also can add some special marks Ngrajah gigi that guide the person through life till reincarnation. It takes no longer than a few minutes.
The whole process is accompanied by prayers, gamelan music, and mantras.
After The Ceremony
Once done, they check the result in a mirror, rinse the mouth with a special healing mix of sandalwood powder and betel leaf, change clothes, and eat padamal – a dish with 6 tastes (sweet, bitter, sour, salty, spicy, and burnt) representing the taste of adult life.
For 3 days after the Metatah ceremony, the teenager is isolated and not allowed to eat hot food.
Then, the family should throw away the coconut shell in the river or ocean or bury it at the family temple.
This is when the teenager is officially proclaimed adult, can take on some house chores and get married (if the age allows).
Does The Tooth Filing Ritual Hurt?
The tooth filing is not painful like dentist visits but it can be uncomfortable, especially if the person has sensitive teeth.
The anesthetics are not considered, but the priest and family may try to distract the children by talking to them.
Final Thoughts
Bali is an amazing treasure trove of unique ceremonies rooted deep into the traditions. Each of those ceremonies gives us a glimpse of how diverse and beautiful Balinese culture is.
Tooth filling is all about parents preparing their children to step into the adult age.
It is a symbolic attempt to acknowledge and control human anger, greed, and lust to become attractive and composed members of society.
